Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) has postponed a meeting of the party’s MLAs that was scheduled for May 6, amid reports of sharp internal differences over extending support to actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
According to the report, TVK won 108 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, while the DMK alliance secured 73 and the AIADMK alliance 53. With TVK short of a clear majority, it is said to be looking for outside support from either the DMK-led bloc or the AIADMK side.
The report claims that backing from AIADMK’s 47 MLAs would be sufficient for TVK to form and sustain a government. It further alleges that soon after counting ended on May 4, plans were discussed within AIADMK—led by senior leader Sengottaiyan—to split the party due to the hung verdict.
EPS is said to have initially agreed to provide outside support to TVK, while placing conditions. A key condition reportedly was that Sengottaiyan should not be included in the TVK cabinet; TVK, in turn, is said to have offered him the Speaker’s post. The report says EPS rejected this as well, insisting Sengottaiyan should remain only an MLA.
With TVK reportedly refusing to accept EPS’s demand, the report says EPS stepped back from supporting TVK. Senior leaders including C V Shanmugam and S P Velumani are said to have argued for extending support regardless, and the report claims a faction is considering breaking away with some MLAs—an escalation cited as the reason for postponing the MLA meeting.
